


Piece by Piece

by Reidskitty



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternative Universe - No Island, F/M, Minor Character Death, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-10-13
Packaged: 2018-07-26 14:08:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7576939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reidskitty/pseuds/Reidskitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Donna Smoak dies Quentin Lance agrees to take in her seven year old daughter, Felicity.<br/>Felicity Smoak has to learn to trust again after her dad has left and her mother has died. Follow her as she finds a true father, sisters and friends.</p>
<p>AU- no island. Eventual Olicity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First arrow fanfiction. I will eventual post this on my fanfiction.net account to.

Central City Long ago…

“Who’s the kid?” Detective Joe West asks The young officer shrugs,

“Murder victim’s daughter.” Joe walks over to the little girl her brown curly hair tangled, and bends down to her level. “

Hi sweetie what’s your name?” “Felicity Smoak.” She says quietly. “I’m seven.” Joe sighs and thinks of Iris and Barry, whom are the same age. He stays quiet for a minute trying to figure out how to break the news to her in the end he doesn’t need to.

“My mommy is dead isn’t she?” Felicity asks holding her tablet to her chest. “Yea she is. Where is your dad?” he asks and notices how the little girl tenses up. “Gone.” Detective West stops the young officer he talked to earlier.

“Kid, is there anyone who can take her?” “Yeah her listed guardian is one Quentin Lance, he lives in Star City. Do you want me to contact him?” “I got it handled.” Joe then turns back to Felicity. “In the mean time you can stay with me.”

* * *

 

Detective Quentin Lance is eating dinner with his wife and 11 and 9 year old daughters when he gets the phone call. He of course agrees to take her in after all she is Donna’s daughter; there was no choice to make.

“Dad?” Laurel asks cautiously. “Who was that?” Quentin sighs realizing he should of talked to his wife first.

“That was Joe, Donna has been murder and I agreed to take her daughter.” Dinah drops her fork and the room becomes quiet. Sara mouths whose Donna to her sister but Laurel just shrugs.

“Girls, why don’t you head up stairs and let me and your father talk?” Laurel leaves to head up the stairs but stops when she notices Sara is crouching by the kitchen’s opening. “Sarah! What are you doing” the older girl hisses.

“Ssh I’m listening in.” against her better judgment Laurel stays but the sisters can only here fragments of the adults’ conversation.

* * *

 

“What were you thinking Quentin?”

“Her mother just died and her father is God knows where, She had no one!”

“We can’t afford another child.” “Please, Donna was my friend, and she trusted me with her child.” Dinah huffs but knows there is no point in arguing with him when his mind is made up.

“Fine but where will she stay?” Sara comes out from hiding Laurel following her shyly. “She can share my room!” The younger Lance says excitedly. “I’m going to be a big sister.”

With that Lance makes plans to go to Central City.

* * *

 

Felicity is sleeping on Detective Joe’s couch with her tablet tucked under her arm and her backpack still sitting on her back. “

Iris their is a girl on our couch.” “Ssh Barry might wake her up.”

“She’s already up and her names Felicity.” The kids stare at each other for a long time until Joe comes in the living room.

“Joe?”

“Dad?”

“Detective West?” Turning to Felicity he begins to talk,

“I just called your guardian; he’ll be coming to get you in a couple days.” He then faces his kids, “Until then she’ll be staying with” Felicity’s face drops and her heartbeat pick up when she finally comes out of shock.

“My mother is dead.” Barry and Iris look at her with sympathy and for the first time that night she lets the grief take over.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity meets Tommy, Oliver and Thea while Laurel struggles to adjust to her new sister

Being a cop means having an unpredictable schedule, criminals don’t postpone their crimes just because you have somewhere else to be. Detective Lance knows this but it doesn’t stop him from praying to whoever is listening that he won’t get a case the day he’s supposed to go the Central City. Unfortunately for the detective he catches a case that doesn’t resolve quickly meaning he will have to postpone getting Felicity from Joe much to Sara’s disappointment.

Meanwhile Felicity has bonded with Iris and Barry both sadly welcoming her into the dead mothers club, it’s a bit morbid for seven year olds but hey who’s judging them. Barry is glad to have another geek around and often times Iris is left confused but felicity makes up for it when they play dress up in some of Iris’s moms old clothes.

* * *

 

“ ‘licity, I don’t want you to go.” Iris sighs.

“Me either” Barry pouts.

Felicity doesn’t want to go either but she is curious about this Lance guy who is taking her in. She remembers her mom mentioning something about a Lance once and she wonders why she’d trust him with her.

“We can email and call. And maybe I can come visit you guys.” Felicity says sadly holding onto each of their pinkies when Joe comes in.

“Felicity its time.” So hesitantly she grabs her tablet and backpack as Barry attempts to push her medium size suit case. She suddenly feels small walking towards the man who is taking her in.

Bending down to her level Lance looks her in the eyes. “Hi I’m Quentin Lance.” He stumbles over his words the little girl looks like Donna minus her brown hair which is in two French braids. Felicity just stares at the man for a while and Lance takes this as his note to get her settled in the car. After hugging her new friends she is on her way to her new home in a new city.

* * *

 

“Calm down Sara.” Laurel growls at her sister while Sara had been excited about their new house guest Laurel couldn’t find it in her to care.

“Which bunk do you think she’ll want?” Sara asks referring to the new bunk bed she got put in her room the day before.

“I don’t know.”

“Dad’s back!” Sara says jumping of the couch. “She’s here.”

Looking out the window to where her sister is pointing Laurel sees her dad holding the hand of a petite girl with brown curly hair; her glasses sitting on her face.

Lance comes in the house and kisses his wife before kissing the top of his daughters heads, leaving felicity standing awkwardly by the door.

“My God she looks like Donna”

“You knew my mom?” Felicity asks the older women with wide shocked eyes.

“We both did.” Lance answers for her.

“This is Laurel and Sara. Laurel, Sara meet Felicity.”

Sara’s blond hair reminds her of her mother’s a thought that makes her envious. On the other hand Laurel has blond-brown hair that is leaning more towards brown. The girls wave awkwardly at each other before Lance steps in again.

“Sara why don’t you show her to the room you’ll be sharing.” Sara grabs Felicity’s hand and leads her to the room.

“Which bunk do you want?” Sara asks not being a picky child.

“Bottom please I’m scared of heights which is a fact I just learned about myself.” Felicity mentally scolds herself but Sara just laughs.

“You’re cute.” Felicity just blushes harder.

* * *

 

“Dad. Why’d they have to come?”

“Laurel, Sara is Tommy and Oliver’s friend too. Plus Felicity should make some friends before school starts.”

“Whatever.” Felicity tries not to take her tone personally. Sara squeezes her hand in reassurance.

The Queen mansion is the biggest building Felicity has ever been in she is so memorized she doesn’t notice the body she runs into.

“Wow you’re heavy.” She automatically blushes when the words leave mouth.

“Ollie.” Laurel says coming from around the corner with Sara and who she assumes to be Tommy.

“I see you’ve met Felicity.” “She’s our new sister.” Sara explains further. The prospect of a new Lance sister seems to excite Tommy and Oliver much to Laurel’s annoyance. She doesn’t know why she doesn’t like Felicity but she’s obviously isn’t making it easy for her.

“Not really.” Laurel huffs out causing Sara to glare.

“Not fair I’m an only child and you get another sister.” Tommy says and Felicity truly appreciates him and Sara.

* * *

 

While the others were outside playing Felicity found herself wondering around the Queen Manor. She was so caught up looking at the mansion she didn’t notice she had a shadow until she heard a giggle.

“Oh! Hello. Who are you?” four year old Thea Queen had managed to evade Rasia and was now toddling after Felicity intrigued by the new house guest.

“Thea.” Thea then takes Felicity by her hands and drags her to her room. Felicity lets her play in her hair, it was better than wondering around the house alone.

“ ‘licity?”

“um”

“Will you be my best friend?”

“I thought I was your best friend speedy? Felicity looks up to she Oliver standing by the door. He’s the same age as Laurel but he seems oddly tall to her.

“No, ‘licitys my best friend. Right?” Felicity just nods her head at the young and then shrugs at Oliver.

Oliver clears his throat. “Right well your dad is here.”

“He’s not my dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Laurel will eventual like Felicity but right now shes a hormonal 11 year old.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurel grows some insight of Felicity's life before she moved in with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took longer to write then i'd hoped.

Laurel didn't understand, she didn't understand why she 'hated' Felicity. She liked to think she was mature and sensible for her age but for some reason she couldn't stand Felicity. She couldn't understand why everyone was falling for her charm. For example she came home from Tommy's to her dad gushing about how 'Flick' fixed his ancient computer that he hadn't had the money to repair in years, instead of being impressed all she could do was roll her eyes and stump angrily up the stairs.

Hearing voices Laurel walks across the hall to Felicity's and Sara's room; seeing Sara snoring on the top bunk she peeks in the room quietly to who she was talking to ready to yell at her for being noisy 

Laying on her stomach, tablet in hand, Felicity holds the electronic device close as if that would bring her closer to her friends in central city. 

"Does it ever stop hurting?" she cries to her friends, the shake their heads as they silently agonizes about their own mothers' deaths. "I miss you." she says tearfully. 

"We miss you to 'liss." Iris says. Barry nodding along.

"Why does everyone leave me. First my dad left and now my mom is dead." She says as if the events had just happened. Changing the topic to spare her the heartache Barry asks about life in Star City.

"Its ok. Sara is nice but I think Laurel hates me but its ok my own my hated me at times. Its not like this is forever" she says shrugging. Barely stopping from gasping Laurel backs out the room shaking. In the moment she realized she didn't hate her she was just jealous. Always use to being the center of her parents, sister and friends world. Laurel made a vow to be nicer to her.

* * *

 

Felicity loves, loved her mother but she was well her mother. That statement was easier to understand if you had met the one and only Donna Smoak. Though related Felicity was nothing like her mother and ever since her dad had left their had been moments Donna had blamed her young daughter for leaving. That was why she tried staying out of Dinah Lances way as much as possible. It didn't take a genius, and she is a genius, to figure out the Lances were having marriage problems before she moved in, she was just the icing on the cake.

After hearing a rather heated argument between Dinah and Quentin that led, Quentin to sleeping on the couch Felicity had off- hand mentioned she could leave, but the detectives only response was, "No way in hell kid, you're stuck with me." 

But the arguing still made her uncomfortable, Dinah seemed to always pick at fight when she was around like tonight at the dinner table.

"You never talk to me Quentin."

"What do you mean? We're talking right now."

"I mean talk, you never confine in me."

"Not right now, not in front of the kids." he growls as the three kids sit awkwardly at the table, Felicity biting her lips knowing where the conversation was going. 

"She this is what i'm talking about, you didn't even ask you just let her come without my input."

"Her name is Felicity and what else was I suppose to do. Leave my friends daughter to be an orphan." Causing Dinah to laugh bitterly.

"Right your 'friend.' how do I know she's not yours?" 

"Mom" Sara yells as Lance screams Dinah but its to late Felicity is out of her seat, cheeks red of embarrassment, up the stairs and to her room. Rationally she knows Quentin isn't her dad and the argument isn't about her but Felicity's seven year old mind doesn't care.

"They've been fighting like this for years, its not you." a soft voice says and Felicity is shocked to see its not Sara but Laurel looking over at her.

"I just i don't want to be a problem i'm sure Joe would take me or not no one wants me well my mom wanted me but she's dead, but you knew that." Felicity rambles. "Sorry I do that when I'm nervous."

"Do I make you nervous?" Laurel questions feeling guilty. Felicity answers yes meekly. 

"Well if you let me i'd like another shot at being your big sister." Felicity's eyes widen.

"You think i'm staying" the young girls says unsure.

"Please dads not letting you go anywhere." Laurel stays the night with Felicity and Sara the three of them watching Disney films fall asleep on the floor wrapped in one blanket snuggled close together. Quentin finds them like that in the morning before leaving for work, happy that at least his daughters are getting along.

* * *

August comes quicker than expected meaning the start of a new school year her first year in Star City. Felicity is lucky enough to be in Sara's class, having skipped two years. Laurel is starting the 5th grade making it her last year at Star City Elementary. Though Sara was more likely to beat someone up for her Felicity liked Laurel's rationality. Felicity was excited to join the Stem club, they often joined with Central City's meaning She'd get to see Barry. 

A pillow flying at her brings Felicity out her musings. "Lis I can hear you thinking."

"Sorry i'm just supper nervous."

"Don't be you know me, Laurel, Tommy and Oliver." The thought doesn't comfort her. 

"Lis just go to bed. School will be alright, I promise." Sara says. "But-"

"Stop worrying Felicity. I'm not going to let anyone mess with my baby sister." Sara says smugly and Felicity gets the feeling that she Sara is going to show her off as her younger sister.

"I'm not a baby." She says as a after thought but Sara is too busy snoring to hear her.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day of school and major life changes for Quentin.

Felicity walks to school with Laurel and Sara. Her hair is in a ponytail and her glasses sit securely on her face. The distance to school goes far too quickly for Felicity; next thing she knows is Laurel leaves her side to say hi to her friends. She can tell Sara wants to leave to, but doesn’t want to leave her alone.

“I’m fine Sara.” Sara cocks her head to the side. “Really go.”

“I’ll be back before class starts, ok?” Sara says running off to meet with her friends.

When it’s time for class she and Sara have the same teacher despite Felicity being two years younger. They don’t get to sit near each other because her last name is legally Smoak and there are eight letters between L and S. Felicity kind of hates her teacher for putting them in alphabetically order.

For some reason this sends Felicity into panic mode. Her last name is Smoak not Lance, she didn’t belong here. Soon Quentin would leave her just like her dad left her and she’d have no one.

* * *

 

Lance sits in his office looking at the newly placed picture on his desk of Felicity, Laurel and Sara. He knows she’s biologically not his but he loves Felicity as much as he loves Sara and Laurel. It’s led to many debates with Dinah, she claims he only loves her because she is Donna’s kid. He’s wonder if that’s why too, but Felicity is brilliant and he figures no matter whose daughter she was he’d have fallen for anyways.

A knock on the door shakes him out of his musings.

“Joe, what brings you to Star City?”

“Conference. How’s Felicity?”

“Good, I sometimes wonder if I’m worth her.”

“Donna chose you for a reason Quentin.”

“Dam it why now, we told Donna he was no good. Why chose me know?”

“You don’t really think he killed her?” Joe says startled, he knew Noah Kuttler was no good from the moment they met but a killer; he didn’t think he had it in him.

“Who else would want her dead? Donna was a single mom, a cocktail waitress. Who kills a cocktail waitress?”

* * *

 

Joe shrugs in response, “You never stopped loving her, did you” Quentin’s pained eyes is the only answer he needed.

In hindsight Felicity should have asked Sara what was in the brownies but they smelt so good. Unfortunately for her there were peanuts and a larger amount.

They’re waiting for Laurel after school when Sara offers her a brownie, taking it gratefully Felicity forgets about her nut allergies. It happens quickly she can’t breathe and Sara begins to panic shouting for Laurel who appears.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know, she’s not breathing.”  Taking control, Laurel tells Tommy to call 911.

“Sara, Sara! Call dad.”

“He said he’d meet us at the hospital.”

* * *

 

Quentin’s busy glaring at Joe when his phone rings.

“Sara honey slow down I can’t hear you?” The only thing he’s able to here is Felicity and hospital. Joe offers to drive.

* * *

 

Laurel and Sara get to ride with her to the ER, they watch as Felicity’s face gets bluer. Laurel wonders how she could love this girl as much as she loves Sara, the sister she’s had all her life. She’s so terrified she is going to lose her.

Everything happens fast Felicity is taken to the back of the ER while Sara and Laurel wait for their dad.

“dad!” Laurel shouts seeing Quentin first. Joe behind him. “Where is she?” he yells at the nurse.

“Daddy.” Sara says through tears. “She wasn’t breathing.”

When they are finally able to see her nurse leads them to her room. Felicity looks even smaller in her hospital bed with a gown on that is two sizes too big for her.

Felicity wakes up to Sara and Laurel on her hospital bed with her, Quentin is staring at the Television blankly and Joe is holding an oversized bear.

“Where am I?” she mumbles.

“Hospital, why didn’t you tell me you were allergic to peanuts?” Sara hisses out

“Irrelevant. Is that for me?” she says looking over at Joe, in the back of her mind she wonders why he’s here but she decides subconsciously that she doesn’t care.

“From Barry and Iris.”

“You scared us.” Quentin says and he looks like he’s about to cry. Felicity can’t figure out why.

* * *

 

It takes another two hours before Felicity is released. Laurel decides to throw out everything in their house that has peanuts in it, no one objects.

The image of Felicity not breathing is stuck in her head, so Laurel decides to sleep with her sisters tonight. After the kids are in bed and he’s made sure Felicity is in fact breathing. Lance notices things missing, distinctly female things. All of Dinah’s stuff is gone and on the bed is a letter.

_Dear Quentin,_

_I won’t be second to a dead woman or her daughter._

_-D_

He knows this isn’t really about Felicity. His marriage has been suffering for a while it was only a matter of time. Attached are divorce papers. He doesn’t hesitate to sign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last chapter of them as kids next will be a time jump to Sara and Felicity's senior year of high school. Laurel and Oliver will be together for a while but he will essentially be preisland Oliver until something tragic happens.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity changes her look.

“Your dad’s going to kill you and then he’s going to kill me.” Barry says looking over at Felicity whose once light brown hair is dark with purple highlights, not to mention the piercings she got.

Felicity just rolls her eyes, “He’s not my dad.”

“You’ve been living with him for how many years now?”

“You live with Joe I don’t see you calling him dad.”

“Yeah well…” Barry trails off his eyes looking over towards Iris who was still working her shift at Jitters.

“Ah I see.” She says following Barry’s eyes. She knew about his crush on Iris since well since the girl in question tried to set them up. Admittedly they had dated briefly before Felicity decided to go Goth but his crush on their other third was obvious.

“I don’t understand you let Laurel and Sara introduce you as their sister but you won’t call Lance dad.” Its true, she even has been caught in conversation calling them her sisters, it was a no brainer for her but she just couldn’t call Quentin dad.

“Hey guys.” Iris comes over to their table effectively ending their conversation.

“Liss I didn’t think you’d actually do it.” she says referencing her new look, receiving a shrug from the girl. After another couple hours in Central City Felicity heads home.

* * *

 

“Ugh my eyes.” She screeches coming through the door to see her sister and Oliver in compromising position.

“Really guys the couch? Doesn’t Queen have a mansion you guys can defile?” the two sit up in shock.

“Lis..”

“Nope don’t want to hear it seriously, shouldn’t you like find your own apartment Laurel or you know live on campus because really didn’t want to see that much of you or Oliver like ever.” Apparently dying her hair didn’t change her babbling tendencies speaking of hair.

“Did you do something different to your hair?” Oliver asks her once he’s fully dressed. Laurel’s head shoots up and notices her sisters knew appearance.

Oliver is still taking in the younger girl causing her to blush and Felicity shakes her head. Having a crush on you sister’s boyfriend big no no.

“I like it.” Oliver says much to Laurel’s dismay.

“I don’t! Felicity what were you thinking.”

“I don’t know I wanted a change.”

“You could have dyed you hair blonde like mine or Sara’s if you wanted a change not this.” She says gesturing wildly at Felicity.

“I just dyed my hair, got a couple of piercings.”

“And changed your entire wardrobe.” Oliver chips in causing both girls to glare at him. The girls staring match is cut short when Lance walks in with a grumpy Sara behind him who perks up when she sees Felicity.

“Wow nice new look, Liss.” Turning to look at his youngest daughter his mood instantly drops further.

“I need a drink, Queen you better be out my house when I come back.”

Oliver’s yes sir is meet with an glare. “Laurel, Sara goodnight, Felicity not so fast.” Laurel mumbles something about looking for her own apartment.

“Have fun he’s in a mood.” Sara stage whispers to her.

Once the girls are gone Lance takes his first real look at her. The purple highlights stand out in her newly black hair, along with her industrial piercing is a nose ring. Her makeup and nails is all black to match her newly dark wardrobe. He also notices that she straightened her hair, instead of slightly messy curls its straight locks. The biggest shocker is she no longer has her glasses on instead wearing contacts.

“Felicity. I know this is a hard time of year but.”

“But what? My mom is dead. Have you even found her killer yet?”

“Liss these things don’t resolve quickly, this isn’t Law and order.”

“That’s what I thought.” Felicity goes to her room and after making sure Sara was asleep she pulls out her laptop and starts working on her virus. The virus she started writing a couple weeks ago with Cooper. Sure he was a full four years older than her and he’d just graduated from MIT- her dream school. They’d meet on a site for hackers, though she thought that was such an ugly word. He was charming and sweet; at least she thought he was. Felicity soon found herself changing to fit into his image of her.

* * *

 

Sara was with her friend Nyssa and really Felicity is blind but she’s not that blind so she opts to third, well fourth wheel with Laurel, Oliver and Tommy. Quite frankly she’s questioning her judgment skills. Laurel and Oliver are all over each leaving Tommy to stare on in desire. She really wants to strangle her sister, Oliver just isn’t right for her, her silent crush having nothing to do with it. Really she loves the guy but he isn’t ready to give Laurel the commitment she longed for.

“They’re disgusting.” She whispers to Tommy who can only shake his head. Really she can’t wait to go to MIT next year. Her and Cooper talked, he agreed to move back up there and they’d get an apartment. She just had to survive the next last months of senior year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Totally had a random bout of inspiration. I know Cooper and Felicity met in college but this is AU for a reason.


End file.
